jail sentence yesterday.

Kent Laws, of Sylvan Dell Road, Paget, pleaded guilty in Magistrates' Court to the bag snatching.

Police prosecutor Sgt. Anthony Mouchette said Laws rode up beside Australian visitor Justine Corbet as she was driving on Middle Road in Devonshire on August 2.

Laws then reached into Ms Corbet's livery cycle basket and took her black leather purse.

Police were notified about the incident and an eyewitness gave them a description of the thief.

They later spotted Laws on a motorcycle at Curving Avenue and tried to get him to stop, Sgt. Mouchette said.

Laws led them on a chase through the back of town. But he lost control of the bike when he attempted to ride up a dirt path.

Law was arrested and tried to push a $100 bill between the seats of the Police car, but was caught by the officers.

Laws told Police he did not know where the money came from and that it was not his.

He later took Police to where he had hidden the purse.

Duty counsel Juan Wolffe noted that Laws' behaviour was the result of a drug habit.

He said Laws, who was unemployed, had been in the rehabilitation programme at Montrose Substance Abuse Centre but had not attended for the past month.

Acting Senior Magistrate Cheryl-Ann Mapp, however, pointed out that Laws could not use his drug problem as an excuse to "terrorise'' visitors.

Before handing down the prison sentence, she told Laws that he had a "very bad history that could not be ignored'' and that it was up to him to stay straight.